Billionaires have their quirks; Warren Buffett, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, is well-known for his frugality; Donald Trump is known for his Diet Coke obsession; Jeff Bezos never holds a meeting in a room where two pizzas are not enough to feed everyone present; Mark Zuckerberg wears the same color daily; and Larry Ellison shoots hoops, even on the high seas! It is not just recreational, apparently the founder of Oracle likes to relax by shooting hoops. The magnate, whose net worth is $155 billion according to Forbes, continues his tradition of equipping his yachts with basketball courts, from the 456 ft. Rising Sun, which he sold to David Geffen, to his current 288 ft. yacht, Musashi.
It’s not that the eccentric genius has team-building sessions on the basketball court of his superyacht. Ellison instead shoots hoops to probably clear his mind or just relax. As good of a player as he may be, he would miss a few shots, especially if he is in the mood to score some three-pointers. For the fifth richest person on the planet, losing a couple of $50 basketballs to the ocean is insignificant. But, the Oracle founder does not like to pollute so keeping a close eye on him shooting the hoops is an employee in a powerboat who tails the superyacht and picks up all the floating basketballs for his boss to try again the next day. Ellison’s passion for the seas goes beyond taking leisurely trips to the Mediterranean and St Barths. The maverick loves to sail, he has won the Maxi World Championship five times and taken home the prestigious America’s cup twice.
To keep things interesting, it wouldn’t be surprising if Ellison would shoot hoops from his hovering helicopter or from the swimming pool on the deck. Achieving the challenge is what he does with ease and finds it relaxing no less. No matter from where he shoots, as per the Wall Street Journal there would be someone to pick out the basketballs from the water.
The Japanese connection-
All it took was a visit in his early days to the City of Kyoto, and Ellison’s heart never left Japan. Ellison shared with Americanhistory, ‘Japanese culture is very interesting, and it has influenced me–and let me tell you–a great deal. The Japanese are at once the most aggressive culture on Earth and the most polite. There is this incredible arrogance combined with unbelievable humility; a magnificent balance. And I think, in building our company, we tried to, as much as possible, replicate that culture: to be very aggressive on the one hand and humble on the other. If you can balance those values I think you are increasing your opportunities to compete and succeed, both as individuals and as a group.’ His fascination with the East Asian nation led him to name his entire fleet of yachts in homage to Japanese culture, including the 58-meter Ronin, the 75-meter Katana, and the gigantic 138-meter Rising Sun.
Larry Ellison’s love for Japan was also evident in his sprawling estate inspired by Japanese architecture in California and a garden villa in Kyoto, per SCMP. On one occasion, the American businessman’s Ferraris kept catching fire, he replaced them with the Japanese sports car, Acura NSX. This continued for 15 years, and he ended up shopping for a few units of the $80,000 car and even gifted them to his closest friends and top employees.
Motoryacht Musashi-
This yacht stems from the able shipyards of Feadship and is Japanese in spirit and name owing to the owner’s fascination with the land of the rising sun. Musashi’s breathtaking exterior and interior designs were both penned by Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design. The elegant interiors are a stunning amalgamation of Japanese design and art deco. From a Hiroshi Senju painting of a waterfall in the upper saloon, illuminated by custom lighting, to several zen areas, such as the spa, there is a little bit of Japan everywhere.
Musashi motoryacht sleeps 18 guests and requires a crew of 23 people to operate. Luxe amenities in addition to the basketball court are a giant beach and play deck, an informal lounge-cum-cinema, spa pool, and a gym.
Motoryacht Rising Sun-
A mammoth of a motoryacht, commissioned by the Oracle billionaire from Germany-based Lurssen shipyard in 2004, the 456 ft. Rising Sun was one of the most imposing luxury vessels. Costing $250 million to build, the vessel boasted a speed of 28 knots, powered by four MTU 20V 8000 M90 diesel engines. The five-decker goliath could sleep 12 people in 24 rooms serviced by 30 crew members, boasting 82 rooms in all. It had all the fancy additions like a spa, sauna, gymnasium, wine cellar, private cinema, but for Ellison’s relaxation, there was a basketball court that transformed into a helipad on demand.
Currently, Ellison’s Musashi yacht is sailing in La Spezia, Italy, where the entrepreneur might be shooting hoops and thinking of the next best thing with someone following him and collecting basketballs from the ocean
